Your Vagus Nerve Isn’t Broken. Somebody Just Wants to Sell You Something.

Apparently, one in three adults has a broken vagus nerve.

Who knew?

I discovered this alarming statistic in an X thread explaining that our vagus nerves determine how long we’ll live.

Fortunately, the author had ten ways to fix the problem.

And wouldn’t you know it? Somewhere along the way, he also had supplements to sell.

Now, the vagus nerve is real, and it’s pretty remarkable. It helps regulate heart rate, digestion, and many of the processes that allow our bodies to settle down after stress.

But the claim that one-third of us have a broken vagus nerve? I couldn’t find credible evidence supporting that.

And the idea that a particular magnesium supplement or probiotic will repair it isn’t established science.

Here’s what amused me.

Buried among the supplement recommendations were some perfectly reasonable suggestions.

Breathe slowly. Move your body. Meditate. Laugh. Sing.

Things people have been doing for thousands of years without knowing they were supposedly repairing their vagus nerves.

Peggy and I have spent years teaching breathing, movement, relaxation, and ways to help people feel more comfortable in their bodies.

We’ve never needed to tell anybody their nervous system was broken to get them interested.

And we certainly don’t need to frighten people into buying something.

I’m beginning to think there’s an entire industry devoted to convincing us that ordinary human functions are malfunctioning.

Fortunately, they always seem to have something for sale.